I wanted to pay homage to new the series of Line of Duty starting this week, as I’d call it as one of the best series of the last decade. But where to start? Despite watching every episode of the show 3-4 times now, there’s still plot lines far from resolved, abundant mysteries, unanswered questions, and storyline gaps bigger than Tony Gates ego.
That said, although many of the wisecracks are now fully entrenched in internet lore, there’s a lot we can learn from the adventures of the AC-12 gang. Genuine insight, or thinly veiled excuse to use my favourite Line of Duty gifs? You decide, fella.
Bent coppers, everywhere
It’s changed a little bit over the years, but it’s still insanely frustrating to see some agencies mystify digital marketing. In 2021, it’s “Core Web Vitals is gonna tank your site”, or “your competitors are stealing your clicks” or some other shady salesperson spiel casting doubt onto your usually level-headed MD.
Much like the work of AC-12, it is often the job of the marketing professional to uphold the standards of our industry and simply be better. As Google and the like move even further towards automation, there may well be even more bent coppers trying every kind of scaremongering to flog their digital marketing services.
So do your best to simplify explaining your work, go back to fundamentals, and generally avoid excessive jargon, hype-acronyms, and everything else the industry gets a bad rep for.
To the letter of the law!
You may come across as a stickler or general pain in the ass. But let’s say your client — bit of a loose canon — proudly quacks that he’s bought a ‘really legit-this-time’ email list off a really useful looking site. Mother of God…
Just like big Ted would, follow the rules that govern our industry to the letter of the law.
In recent years, that often means GDPR, but don’t forget similar mainstays like basic content, telephone rules (TPS/CTPS), PECR, ASA codes, information from the ICO, laws around competitions and marketing, specific guidelines within social networks and other software we use daily, and y’know, just being a decent person and being part of a credible business.
Refer to document [X] in your folder
Much like Steve staring wistfully out of his car window, searching for answers, we’ve all been there, looking for that nugget of data that could pull a whole campaign together, or that creative copy line that’s incredible, but you just can’t get it down on paper.
It’s right there, dummy. You just have to look for it. Just try not to shoehorn in some kind of awful retcon, like creating a headline then looking for the data, or blatant plagiarism, or y’know, ‘4 Hs but in morse code’. I haven’t been that mad since they killed off Lindsay Denton, one of the best characters on TV.
Alternatively document X could be your client’s specification. Make sure you read it (twice) and understand their needs before going off on your wild goose chase, or creative endeavour that no-one wants.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
Comically long. You think it’s gonna end, and then it just keeps going. Think of the beginning of the tape as every single Monday morning. It sets the tone for the week ahead. It might be a small blip in time, but it’s really important to reflect and plan out your week ahead.
Embrace the beep. Start there, and then go out and smash it. Whether that’s a Monday morning planing meeting, the start of the month in agency land, the launch of a big campaign, or a new job. Take a deep breath and away you go. If Ted can power his way through a grilling from the absolutely bad-ass DCS Carmichael, we all can.
Burner phones
Friendster, Vine, Google+, Ello. What do they all have in common? They’re the burner phones of social networking. Sure, they’ve got a place. You might have tested them and deemed them non-starters. But it’s all too easy to get caught up in the latest shiny thing, and lose sight of the basics.
A burner marketing tactic is one that’s here today, gone tomorrow. It does the job. For five minutes. Then it’s onto the next. But keep focus, stick to the tried and tested, your training, never forget of the fundamentals. Like the 4 Ps! Now we’re sucking diesel…
I have the right to be questioned by an officer at least one rank senior
It’s been used by crims across the last five series, and even by Ted, but this trope doesn’t really apply in our world. Seniority in marketing means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but seniority in terms of more experience is rarely a good enough reason to be a dick about something.
Marketing is often about creativity and sometimes just having an opinion on something is enough. And that really can come from your 21 year old intern, not necessarily the expert with 25+ years experience. I mean, remember Jodie from S4?
DCI Buckells always makes an appearance
I’ve been saying it for years, but the marketing world in the North East is small. Really small. So yeah, you might have thought Buckells was a bit of a goon back in S1, but like that marketing junior that you pissed off a few years ago, you just know he’ll be back. And this time, he might just be your line manager…
What’s Buckells role going to be in Series 6 and beyond? Similarly, that exec you were a bit of a bell end to in a previous job could end up on the other side of the interview table at some point. Don’t underplay anyone.
Stop making a tit of yourself and piss off
It’s my favourite putdown in a long time so I couldn’t ignore it.
There’s a increasing number of tryhards. Social media breeds them. Look at my awards. Please click my engagement-baiting LinkedIn post. Humble-brags about new offices, new client wins, or even those celebrating x followers on Twitter (yawn). Don’t. And don’t get bogged down into paying attention to your competitors success. Ride your own wave, and go your own way.
Every single day of my working life, I yearn for the chance to use that line in a semi-professional context. God knows I’ve wanted to say it enough times…
Enjoy Series 6! I’d love to hear your wildest LoD conspiracy theories. Say hello.